Phillies Place Closer Duran on 15-Day IL with Oblique Strain

Philadelphia calls up Felix Reyes from Triple-A to boost struggling lineup

Apr. 19, 2026 at 12:11am

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A fractured, cubist-style painting depicting a baseball pitcher's throwing motion broken down into sharp, overlapping geometric shapes in the Phillies' red and blue colors, conveying the team's struggle to overcome key injuries and find a path forward.The Phillies' bullpen faces a key challenge as they navigate Duran's injury and search for solutions to jumpstart their season.Philadelphia Today

The Philadelphia Phillies have placed closer Jhoan Duran on the 15-day injured list with a left oblique strain. The move was retroactive to Wednesday, when Duran first felt discomfort in his oblique. The Phillies have also called up Felix Reyes from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to help boost their struggling offense, and Reyes homered in his MLB debut.

Why it matters

The Phillies have struggled mightily to start the season, entering Saturday having lost 8 of their last 11 games and with a league-worst run differential. Losing their closer Duran, who has 5 saves and a 1.35 ERA, is a significant blow as they try to turn things around. Bringing up Reyes, a top prospect, could provide a spark for the offense.

The details

Duran felt discomfort in his left oblique while warming up before Saturday's game against the Braves. The 28-year-old right-hander has been a bright spot for the Phillies so far this season with his dominant relief pitching. To replace Duran on the roster, the Phillies called up Felix Reyes from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Reyes made his MLB debut and homered in his first at-bat in the second inning against Chris Sale.

  • Duran felt discomfort in his oblique on Wednesday, April 17.
  • The Phillies placed Duran on the 15-day injured list on Saturday, April 19, retroactive to April 17.

The players

Jhoan Duran

The Phillies' 28-year-old right-handed closer who has 5 saves and a 1.35 ERA this season.

Felix Reyes

A top prospect called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to make his MLB debut and help boost the Phillies' struggling offense.

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What they’re saying

“Losing Duran is a big blow, but we're hopeful he can return soon and help us turn this season around.”

— Rob Thomson, Phillies Manager

What’s next

The Phillies will monitor Duran's recovery and hope to have him back in the bullpen within the next 2-3 weeks. In the meantime, they will look to Reyes and other call-ups to provide a spark for the struggling offense.

The takeaway

The Phillies' early-season struggles have been exacerbated by this injury to their closer Duran. While the call-up of prospect Felix Reyes provides a potential boost, the team will need to find a way to overcome this setback and get their season back on track.